In CHKD’s neonatal intensive care unit, neonatologists lead multidisciplinary teams of pediatric specialists, surgeons, nurses, respiratory therapists, and others to care for the region’s most fragile newborns, like Sienna Rae Garner. Sienna was born 8 weeks before she was due and was immediately transported to CHKD’s NICU, where she spent 345 days receiving care. Sienna was one of 515 critically ill newborns admitted to CHKD’s NICU last year.
KidStuff is a publication of Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters 601 Children’s Lane, Norfolk, VA 23507 (757) 668-7043
President/CEO Amy Sampson
OUR BOARDS OF DIRECTORS (as of December 5, 2024)
– Children’s Health System –Akhil Jain, Chair
Julie Beck
Larry Bernert
George Clarke
Martha Colen
Kim Georges
Owen Griffin
Katherine Knaus
John Lawson
Nicole Legum
Katrina Lesher, MD
Kevin Murphy
Scott Nottingham, MD
Kieran Poulos
Amy Sampson
Brian Skinner
Elly Smith
Carl St. Remy, MD
Susan Wynne
– Children’s Health Foundation* –Lawrence A. Bernert III, Chair
Dan Boyle
Scott Carr
Mark Compton
Leslie Doyle
Doug Hillebrandt
Trey Huelsberg
Kelly Johnson
Matt Nusbaum
Karen Priest
Amy Sampson
Carrie Williams
– The King’s Daughters –
Robin
Beth Bryant
Leslie Crocker
Lori Fagan
Laura Fulton
Margaret Kelly
Carrie L. Lauck
Carter Madson
Amy Moynihan
Taylor Priest
Carie Shiels
Sunny Sonner
Renee S. Walker
Carrie Williams *CHKD Health System extends its sincere gratitude to current and past members of the Children’s Health Foundation Board of Directors, which completed its service to the organization in 2024. The responsibility for overseeing the health and performance of the Foundation will be assumed by an investment committee of the Children’s Health System Board of Directors.
Our team of devoted employees has always known CHKD is a great place to work, but now it’s official. CHKD has been named to the Forbes.com list of America’s Best Midsize Employers!
“Strengthening employee engagement and satisfaction is a top priority for our organization,” says President and CEO Amy Sampson. “This distinction is a welcome sign that our efforts are making a difference. It gives us more momentum to continue moving forward with our focus on making CHKD the best possible workplace for our valued employees.”
Over the past two years, CHKD has overhauled its salary structure to attract and retain top talent and added new benefits like student loan repayment and annual personal days. To foster a culture of appreciation, collaboration, and inclusion, we established Engage U, an initiative that includes an employee-led Culture of Excellence Council, regular Town Halls led by senior leadership and open to all employees, and a monthly Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEI-B) learning series. The most-loved additions to CHKD’s event calendar have been the Milestone Gala, an evening of celebration to honor significant work anniversaries for our long-tenured employees, and CHKD family night at a Norfolk Tides baseball game – both of which are on the schedule again for 2025.
Nursing Awards
Milestone Gala
Tides Night
Halloween
CHKD Honored with 2024 Darden Award
On November 20, the CIVIC Leadership Institute presented the 2024 Corporate Darden Award to Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters. The organization also honored community philanthropists Richard and Carolyn Barry with the Individual Darden Award. Both awards recognize decades of leadership in improving the quality of life in Hampton Roads.
More than 500 members of our regional business community gathered at the Norfolk Waterside Marriott for the award ceremony. In accepting the award for CHKD, president and CEO Amy Sampson credited the “4,000 brilliant and talented members of Team CHKD making a difference every day,” as well as “our visionary King’s Daughters driven to improve the health of our children.” She also thanked our board of directors and our community of philanthropists whose “generosity make sure that CHKD is here for every child today, and, just as importantly, tomorrow.
“We are thrilled and humbled to be included among the recipients of the Darden Award,” said Sampson. “The CIVIC Leadership Institute has done so much to elevate our region, and it is an incredible honor to be recognized alongside the inspirational Dick and Carolyn Barry, who, among so many other things, have been loyal supporters of CHKD for many, many years.”
CHKD Certified as National Gold Safe Sleep Hospital
CHKD was recently recognized by the National Safe Sleep Hospital Certification Program as a Gold Certified Safe Sleep Hospital, the highest certification a hospital can receive. This program, created by Cribs for Kids, recognizes CHKD’s commitment to providing resources and education to ensure babies in our hospital and the community sleep in the safest environments possible. Cribs for Kids is a national infant safe sleep organization with a mission to reduce infant sleep-related deaths by educating parents and caregivers on the importance of practicing safe sleep for their babies. Hospitals play a significant role in this effort by:
• Promoting infant safe-sleep guidelines like placing infants on their backs to sleep to reduce the risk of sudden unexpected infant death (SUID) and unsafe sleep injuries.
• Identifying at-risk families and caregivers and providing them with safe sleep spaces for infants.
• Educating the community on safe sleep practices for children under 1 year of age.
• Training healthcare team members and family caregivers in the most up-to-date safe sleep guidelines.
For more information on safe sleep for infants, visit CHKD.org/SafeSleep.
President and CEO Amy Sampson
Dr. Eric Lowe Named Chair of Pediatrics
Dr. Eric Lowe, a pediatric oncologist at CHKD, has been named chair of pediatrics at Eastern Virginia Medical School, part of the Macon & Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences at Old Dominion University. Dr. Lowe’s role has also expanded at CHKD. As our new chief clinical academic officer, he will oversee educational and research activities throughout CHKD Health System.
Dr. Lowe follows Dr. C.W. Gowen, who retired in 2024 following a 33-year medical career as a CHKD neonatologist, serving 10 years as chair of pediatrics at EVMS and senior vice president for academic affairs at CHKD.
Dr. Lowe will continue to care for patients and pursue his research activities in addition to these new responsibilities. Throughout his time at CHKD and EVMS, Dr. Lowe has also been an active educator and mentor. In addition to lecturing, he has been a supervising physician for medical students and pediatric residents in their hematology and oncology rotations. Dr. Lowe has mentored medical residents since 2007, many of whom have followed in his footsteps, devoting their careers to caring for children with cancer.
New
Hope for Kids with Cancer
CHKD has received approval to provide CAR-T cell therapy, an exciting new type of immunotherapy for children with certain types of cancer. In this breakthrough treatment, the patient’s own immune cells, called T cells, are sent to a special lab where a protein called a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) is added. This protein is designed to help T cells find and attack hidden cancer cells. When the T cells are ready, they are infused back into the patient to begin their cancer-fighting work.
Kymriah, the CAR-T treatment used by CHKD, is currently approved for patients up to age 25 with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) who did not respond to chemotherapy or whose leukemia has come back.
The foundations of cancer treatment, including surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation, will continue to play a dominant role in most patients’ treatment plans. However, innovative new treatment options, like CAR-T therapy, are giving oncologists at CHKD powerful new weapons to offer hope to patients with difficult-to-treat and relapsed cancers.
Outpatient Pharmacy Celebrates 1st Anniversary
CHKD Outpatient Pharmacy, located on the first floor of the main hospital in Norfolk, held its grand opening in the fall of 2023 and recently commemorated its first anniversary. In that time, the pharmacy has provided more than 25,000 prescriptions for children and adults across the region, including difficult-to-obtain and compounded medications.
CHKD pharmacists can also improve the taste of medications with kid-friendly flavors, formulate medications free of allergens and dyes, and create unique dosages for specific therapies.
To ensure these specialized prescription services are convenient to everyone, free delivery is available throughout Hampton Roads.
“We’re excited to have these services available,” says Dr. Christopher Foley, CHKD’s chief clinical operations officer. “Families with a child being treated in the hospital can have prescriptions filled before taking their child home. And now, with delivery available, our services are accessible to anyone in our community without the need to visit our Norfolk location.”
The pharmacy also offers routine, seasonal, and travel vaccines, assistance with high-cost medications, and a year-round drug take-back program to safely dispose of unused or expired prescriptions.
Pharmacy hours are 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. For more information or to arrange home delivery of your prescriptions, call (757) 668-6337.
Heaven and her grandmother Emma Abner (center) celebrate with CHKD’s kidney transplant team on becoming the 100th transplant recipient at CHKD, eight months after learning she had end-stage kidney disease.
Heaven’s Miracle
Milestone transplant surgery saves teen
Throughout most of Heaven Parker-Abner’s childhood, there were no obvious symptoms to indicate she was developing severe kidney disease. But because Heaven was born with a rare genetic disorder, neither of her kidneys developed normally, and when Heaven became a teenager, her health began to plummet.
In August 2023, her grandmother, Emma Abner, became increasingly worried as Heaven lost weight and nothing eased her constant stomachache. When she suddenly became extremely weak, Heaven was rushed to CHKD. “I didn’t think she was going to make it to the emergency department,” Emma says.
Heaven had severe anemia and EKG abnormalities. In addition to low hemoglobin and extremely elevated phosphorous levels, her calcium level was so low that it was hurting her heart, says Dr. J. Bryan Carmody, a pediatric nephrologist at CHKD. “I don’t think she would have survived much longer if she hadn’t come in when she did,” he says.
Once Heaven was stabilized, she was able to start dialysis, traveling three times a week from her home in Newport News to CHKD’s pediatric hemodialysis unit, the only unit of its kind in Virginia. Each treatment lasted three to four hours. In March 2024, Heaven received the best news: she would receive a kidney transplant at CHKD.
The lifesaving procedure also marked a significant milestone for the CHKD kidney transplant program. Heaven is the 100th kidney transplant recipient – a milestone reached 19 years after the kidney transplant program launched at CHKD. The program is the regional referral center for pediatric kidney transplants in southeastern Virginia, the Eastern Shore of Virginia, and northeastern North Carolina.
Like so many families who have received treatment at CHKD for kidney failure, Emma says she is incredibly grateful for everyone who has been by Heaven’s side.
In fall of 2024, Heaven started her first year of high school. She continues to feel well and enjoys hanging out with her cousins.
“We’re so thankful for CHKD,” Emma says.
Throughout her eight years at CHKD, SaraLee motivated, comforted, and cheered patients without ever saying a word. A trained facility dog, SaraLee knows dozens of commands that enabled her to engage with patients to improve their healing under the supervision of her handler Shannon Hood, director of integrative care at CHKD. Born and raised to be a service dog, SaraLee completed extensive training through Canine Companions to learn advanced skills and commands.
SaraLee primarily worked in CHKD’s pediatric inpatient rehabilitation unit with patients who have brain and physical injuries. Children who were reluctant to get out of bed for their physical therapy quickly changed their minds when they learned that SaraLee, a golden retriever, would be walking with them. A simple game of fetch with SaraLee would often double as a therapy exercise to improve a patient’s balance and coordination. When children were too sick to leave their beds, SaraLee would gently climb up and snuggle next to them so they could pet her.
Although SaraLee was ready to officially retire in February 2024 from working full-time, she wasn’t ready to stop loving on patients altogether. In April, she officially joined CHKD’s Buddy Brigade, a special team of therapy dogs who visit children receiving treatment in the hospital.
SaraLee currently volunteers twice a month at Children’s Pavilion, CHKD’s inpatient pediatric mental health hospital. The setting has been ideal for an older dog.
“SaraLee stays in one spot and patients are brought to her,” Shannon says. “They have quality time petting her, brushing her, asking questions, and sharing stories about their pets. Sometimes, patients will play catch with SaraLee or watch her show off a couple of her 40 known commands.”
SaraLee has been a healing presence for CHKD team members as well as patients and their families. After a baby passed away during surgery at CHKD, SaraLee was brought into a debriefing session to comfort staff while the family was given privacy and time to hold their baby and say goodbye. Jessica Jones, director of perioperative services at CHKD, remembers she was about to cry during the staff debriefing when SaraLee approached her on her own and rested her head on Jessica’s lap. “It was amazing. She recognized I was hurting and needed a little support,” Jessica says.
When SaraLee’s retirement was announced on social media, numerous patient families commented on what a difference she made in their lives when their children were hospitalized at CHKD.
“SaraLee was there to comfort my husband and me with the passing of both of our babies,” writes Cassie Lynn Scrivner. “I looked forward to seeing her every day and those quiet minutes of just sitting and petting her. She was a bright spot during days where we struggled to see the joy. She is a blessing and I feel honored to have gotten to know her.”
SaraLee has taught many of her coworkers at CHKD an important lesson in how to support patient families. Sometimes words are unnecessary. The ability to listen and just be present can often mean much more.
A Fond and Furry Farewell
Beloved facility dog retires after eight years of service
WRITTEN BY Alice Warchol • PHOTOGRAPHY BY Susan Lowe and Ken Mountain
Game-Changing Gene Therapy
Breakthrough treatment brings hope to children with Duchenne muscular dystrophy
WRITTEN BY Heather Kent • PHOTOGRAPHY BY Ken Mountain
Going on a family bike ride is a typical outing for an active 7-year-old boy.
But, for Karson Blanchard, this was a treasured experience his parents feared he would never have.
Karson was diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy at 20 months of age. His parents grieved the limits he likely faced growing up. They accepted that he would eventually need a wheelchair. As he grew, they watched his movements slow and his body weaken. The brand-new bicycle they hoped he would one day enjoy was hidden away in the back of the garage.
Duchenne is a devastating genetic illness that causes progressive muscular wasting. Affecting primarily males, the disease causes life-threatening heart and respiratory problems as it advances. “Patients usually lose the ability to walk in their early teens and generally succumb to the illness before age 30,” says Dr. Crystal Proud, Karson’s pediatric neurologist at CHKD.
For years, Dr. Proud, who specializes in neuromuscular conditions, could only treat her patients’ symptoms. “When I chose to go into this field, I really expected to be more
of a hospice-type doctor,” says Dr. Proud. “I thought I’d be guiding my patients through a journey that would someday come to an end. My goal was to provide them with support and peace through that process.”
But fiercely committed to research to find new treatments, Dr. Proud led CHKD to become one of four centers in the nation selected to study a medication called Elevidys. This therapy now offers real hope to the muscular dystrophy community.
The FDA approved Elevidys on June 22, 2023, for patients ages 4 and 5. At that time, Karson’s sixth birthday was rapidly approaching on August 25. Dr. Proud and her team from the Novel Therapeutics and Gene Therapy Program at CHKD had a very short window to coordinate the reams of paperwork, pre-treatment testing, family education, and logistics required for him to receive Elevidys before the cutoff date.
On the morning of August 23, two days shy of his sixth birthday, Karson became the first patient in Virginia to receive this innovative new treatment.
Elevidys is a gene therapy, given in a single intravenous
dose, that spurs the development of a protein similar to the protein missing in the muscle cells of children with Duchenne. Physicians are optimistic about its potential to slow the progression of the disease.
“When Karson came back to our clinic, we noticed that he was rising from the floor more easily, running down the hall faster. His mother tearfully shared some of the things that he was doing that he’d never been able to do before,” says Dr. Proud. “It is a wonderful gift to offer my patients hope and provide optimism to families. The
Riding his bike was a treasured experience Karson’s parents feared he would never have.
future is no longer a well-defined pathway with a clear ending. We now have open paths and unknowns with these revolutionary therapies, and I think these are just the beginning.”
Mere months after Karson received Elevidys, his parents were able to pull his bike out of the garage and take him for that long-awaited ride. They are now filled with hope that many more activities they once thought were lost will become simple, joyful memories of his childhood.
FDA Expands Access to Elevidys
A year after approving Elevidys for patients ages 4 and 5, in June of 2024, the FDA expanded access to this breakthrough gene therapy to all patients over the age of 4. This expansion marks a significant milestone, allowing the majority of boys and men living with Duchenne to benefit from this option. At CHKD, nearly 30 patients have been treated with this therapy. They are walking longer, breathing better, and having fewer complications and hospitalizations. “It’s hard to put into words what a difference gene therapy has made for these patients and their families,” says Dr. Crystal Proud, chief of neurology at CHKD. “We look forward to the opportunity to help many more.”
Parker Rose bounces back to her old self after surviving a life-threatening head-on car crash and recovering from a severe spinal injury.
Teamwork After Trauma Parker
Rose makes remarkable recovery after complex spine surgery
WRITTEN BY Alice Warchol • PHOTOGRAPHY BY Susan Lowe
The helicopter carrying Sarah Dobbin and her 8-year-old daughter, Parker Rose Outlaw, made its way through the dark of night to CHKD, the closest Level I Pediatric Trauma Center. The two had just survived a head-on car accident that happened on their way to a beach house rental in the Outer Banks, where Sarah’s extended family was gathering for an annual summer reunion.
Although the crash had injured her legs, Sarah had managed to pull both of her kids out of the car to safety. Her son had a concussion and an abrasion above his eye, but something more serious had happened to Parker Rose. She had a large, tender bruise on her lower back and
“I was terrified that she would be paralyzed.”
Sarah Dobbin, Parker Rose’s mom
couldn’t move her left leg. As the helicopter flew toward Norfolk, Sarah spoke with the paramedics on board, who seemed to understand that letting her talk nonstop helped her hold it together. However, she couldn’t control her fear that Parker Rose, who loved to do backbends and the splits, might never walk again.
“Honestly, she was not in good shape,” Sarah says. “I knew she was critically injured.”
The trauma team at CHKD was assembled and waiting for Parker Rose when she arrived after midnight on July 16, 2023. In addition to an emergency physician, trauma surgeon, nurses, and technicians, the multidisciplinary team included a child life specialist, a social worker, and a chaplain to provide emotional support and guidance.
While Sarah was taken next door to Sentara Norfolk General Hospital, the CHKD trauma team, led by surgeon
Dr. Jeffrey Riblet that night, went to work to check Parker Rose’s airway, breathing, and circulation before moving on to a detailed head-to-toe exam. They quickly discovered bruising from her seatbelt and a large bruise over her lower spine. Parker Rose had a chest X-ray, a pelvic X-ray, and CT scans of her head, cervical spine, abdomen, and pelvis. A side image of her back showed that her spine was fractured and had shifted from the break.
Her lumbar spine was fractured and dislocated.
“It’s probably one of the worst spinal injuries I’ve seen,” says CHKD pediatric surgeon Dr. Jamie Golden, who was working with the trauma team that weekend.
Dr. Riblet picked up the phone to reach the orthopedic surgeon on call.
Dr. Carl St. Remy, chief of orthopedics and director of the spine program at CHKD, made a conscious decision years ago to live close to the hospital. It was important to him to know that he could be there within 10 minutes if he was ever needed. Listening to Dr. Riblet describe Parker Rose’s spinal fracture over the phone, he knew this was one of the moments. He got in his car and headed straight to CHKD.
Dr. St. Remy found Parker Rose in the pediatric intensive care unit. Looking at her X-rays, he knew that if she had been an adult, this injury would have likely made her paraplegic. But because she was young, there was a chance that her spinal cord had not been severed in the crash. He ordered another MRI to get a closer look and to figure out if she needed surgery immediately or if they had time to stabilize her before operating. The results gave him hope. “Her spinal cord was squeezed but continuous,” Dr. St. Remy says. “As bad as it looked, the spinal cord was still hanging together by a thread.”
Dr. St. Remy cleared his schedule for the next day. This would give Parker Rose a day to rest before he and his surgical team attempted to repair her spine.
In the PICU, doctors were also monitoring Parker Rose for abdominal injuries. Her left kidney had suffered an
infarction, which meant that its blood flow had been cut off. “When you have a spinal injury like that, where the force is enough to break your spine in that way, there can be other injuries, too,” says Dr. Golden. “Fortunately, we found nothing besides the kidney injury.”
Parker Rose’s mom, Sarah, spent the first night after the accident being treated at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital.
Realizing how anxious she had to be about her daughter, CHKD social worker Kayla Wilson kept Sarah updated on what was happening with Parker Rose. “I’m very thankful for Kayla because I was panicking, not knowing if Rosey was OK,” Sarah says. “I was terrified that she would be paralyzed.”
Fusing Parker Rose’s spine was an option, but Dr. St. Remy decided to take a different approach to avoid the long-term effects of a spinal fusion. If Parker Rose chose to have a child someday, a fusion would prevent her from being able to have an epidural. Instead, Dr. St. Remy and his team planned to stabilize the spine using screws and rods to correct the deformity created by the injury as it healed.
“I had been preparing for this surgery my whole career. Everything I’ve been trained to do came into play at this moment.”
Dr. Carl St. Remy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The next day, after Sarah made it to her daughter’s bedside, she remembers meeting Dr. St. Remy. “He pulled me aside and showed me Rosey’s injuries on imaging. He explained exactly what I was looking at and what we were up against in a way I could understand. I remember him even giving me a hug,” Sarah says. “After speaking with him, I felt a huge sense of relief and hope for the first time since our accident.”
“He thought about everything,” Sarah says. “He really is like an angel.”
Parker Rose’s surgery lasted more than four hours. Dr. St. Remy and his team worked carefully and slowly to make sure they didn’t damage her spinal cord. As they moved the displaced portion of her spine back to where it was supposed to be, the cord fell right into place. The last step was to reconnect the injured bones of the spine with a framework of screws and rods. The procedure was stressful, but Dr. St. Remy was confident that he and his team could help Parker Rose walk again if everything went according to plan.
“One of the things that stood out in my mind was the feeling that I had been preparing for this surgery my
Dr. Carl St. Remy, orthopedic surgeon and spine specialist at CHKD, spent more than four hours gently fixing the broken bones in Parker Rose’s spine while protecting her fragile spinal cord.
whole career,” says Dr. St. Remy, a surgeon for more than 25 years. “Everything I’ve been trained to do came into play at this moment.”
While Sarah waited, Dallas Seitz, registered nurse and spine program coordinator at CHKD, checked in to give her continuous updates. “I never had to wonder or worry what was happening during Rosey’s surgery because Dallas was on top of it,” Sarah says. “She had this energy about her that reinforced that Rosey was not only in the best hands but that she was genuinely loved and being cared for throughout the entire surgery.”
Once the surgery was over, Sarah knew it would be a long road to recovery. Parker Rose, who was used to running, jumping, and tumbling, would need to learn how to move her legs and walk again. Over the next two weeks, she worked hard in physical and occupational therapy, sometimes breaking down in tears because she worried she might never fully recover. At one point, Sarah asked if Dr. St. Remy could visit her daughter to give her some reassurance.
“When he came to speak to Rosey, he communicated in a way that she understood and believed what he was saying. His words calmed her and boosted her confidence,” Sarah says. “At that moment, you could see in her eyes that she knew she really was going to be okay. Not that it wasn’t going to be hard work, because it was, but she was in it to win it and could take a deep breath and focus on what needed to be done instead of doubting herself.”
At the end of that July, Parker Rose had recovered enough to be transferred to a rehab facility near her family’s home in North Carolina. Months later, when she came back to CHKD for surgery to have the hardware in her spine removed, she amazed everyone by walking without any problems.
“I can’t believe how healthy Parker Rose looks,” says Dr. Golden. “She looks like nothing had ever happened to her. This is a great example of our teamwork within the trauma department. I give huge kudos to Dr. St. Remy for everything he did for her.”
Sarah is incredibly grateful to everyone at CHKD who helped her daughter. “I do not believe we would have had the same outcome if we had gone to any other hospital,” Sarah says. “She’s really a miracle.”
CHKD First in U.S. to Achieve Advanced Spine Certification
CHKD’s pediatric spine program is the first in the nation to receive an Advanced Pediatric Spine Certification from DNV Healthcare, the organization that provides hospital accreditation to CHKD and many other hospitals worldwide.
To earn this certification, a hospital must meet stringent quality and patient safety requirements. “The Advanced Pediatric Spine Certification affirms that we are providing the highest level of pediatric spine care for children,” says Dr. Carl St. Remy, chief of orthopedics and director of the program. “It’s also an acknowledgment that we are doing some surgical cases that people haven’t done elsewhere.”
For years, families throughout southeastern Virginia have turned to CHKD’s spine program for its comprehensive, multidisciplinary approach to caring for patients from birth to 21 with scoliosis and other complex spinal defects. Our thorough surgery preparation program ensures that patients and families know what to expect, have all their questions answered, and are prepared to have the best possible experience throughout their treatment.
“The CHKD Spine Program differs from others in the country in the way that we work as a team,” Dr. St. Remy says. “We’ve built a partnership of experienced surgeons, anesthesia specialists, highly trained physical therapists and nurses, child life specialists, and a designated nurse coordinator. Everyone on our team plays an important role.”
To learn more about our Spine Program and its certification, scan the QR code or visit CHKD.org/Spine.
A Passion for Giving Back
NYC lawyer pledges support for CHKD’s Nuss Center
Born and raised in New York City, a location known for world-class hospitals, Christopher J. Baione should have had no reason to seek specialized medical care elsewhere.
But a diagnosis of pectus excavatum, a congenital chest wall deformity, had Christopher searching for answers his local doctors didn’t have. “That hole in my chest was a hole in my life,” he says. “At the time, my family and I weren’t sure where to turn.”
Affecting more boys than girls, pectus excavatum causes the breastbone and ribs to grow inward, giving the chest a sunken appearance. It can range from mild to severe, often worsening during growth spurts. Those with a mild condition may not have symptoms, but those with moderate-to-severe cases, like Christopher, can exhibit symptoms such as shortness of breath, fatigue, and chest pain.
“It was severe enough to affect my heart and breathing,” says Christopher. “But even more, I was impacted emotionally because my body looked different than everyone around me.” He chose to stay home and not go out to play with friends, afraid to explain why he looked so different from them. “I avoided a lot and lost much of my childhood,” he says.
Determined to find an answer, Christopher’s research eventually led him to discover that Children’s Hospital of
The King’s Daughters, under the leadership of surgeon Dr. Donald Nuss, was pioneering a new way to correct his chest wall deformity. Unlike his previous consultations, where the surgery would require opening the chest wall and removing pieces of cartilage, Christopher learned that CHKD could perform a minimally invasive procedure that would put a bar in place to reshape his sternum instead.
Christopher and his parents decided to make the trip south for a consultation at CHKD. “After meeting with the care team, my family and I knew that we had found the right place and the right people,” he says. “I can’t emphasize enough how comfortable and welcomed we all felt.”
Christopher had his operation at CHKD in 2003 at age 16. “I put my trust in them, and sure enough, my surgery went flawlessly. Not only did the procedure improve my health and breathing, but my overall mental health improved in ways that I could not have imagined at the time,” he says.
Soon after recovering, Christopher began pursuing physical activities like skiing, snowboarding, and martial arts. Amateur sports with friends became second nature.
“To go from someone self-conscious about removing their shirt, or even hugging someone for fear of them noticing that you were different, to someone who then became complimented on their appearance … it’s hard to put into words how important that was to me,” shares Christopher.
WRITTEN BY Jessica Davenport
“That hole in my chest was a hole in my life … I give back to CHKD because they gave so much to me.”
Christopher J. Baione
Today, Christopher is a nationally recognized attorney and founding partner of Pitta & Baione LLP in New York City, a firm dedicated to helping New Yorkers affected by the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the city. To date, they have recovered $500 million dollars for nearly 10,000 victims and their families. Giving back is his passion, whether representing clients before the Victim Compensation Fund or supporting the children’s hospital that gave him a new lease on life.
Christopher’s gifts to the Nuss Center at CHKD have purchased equipment that improves the quality of care for Nuss patients. He has also pledged to help fund the needs of the Center in the future through a $50,000 commitment that established the Christopher Joseph Baione Fund.
“We’re so grateful to Christopher for his generosity,” says Dr. Robert Obermeyer, vice president and chief of surgery at CHKD. “This funding will have a positive impact on the care we are able to provide to young patients with all types of chest wall deformities for decades to come.”
“I give back to CHKD because they gave so much to me,” says Christopher. “This is my way to say thank you to the surgeons and hospital that provided such excellent care. I wouldn’t be where I am without them.”
Leaders in Chest Wall Repair Recognized with Special Awareness Month
On December 2, 2024, Senator Angelia Williams Graves visited the Nuss Center at CHKD to read Virginia Senate Joint Resolution No. 46. This resolution establishes each December as Chest Wall Deformity Awareness Month in honor of CHKD’s contributions to the field.
Senator Williams Graves was welcomed by CHKD President and CEO Amy Sampson, Vice President of Advancement Bryant Thomas, and the entire Nuss Center team. During remarks, CHKD Vice President and Chief of Surgery Dr. Robert Obermeyer announced that the Nuss Center team had recently performed its 3,000th chest wall surgery, more than any other center in America.
The Nuss Center is the nation’s No. 1 center for treating and understanding chest wall deformities. Although Dr. Nuss is now retired, his colleagues at CHKD continue to develop and refine cutting-edge treatments for pectus excavatum, pectus carinatum, and a variety of other complex chest wall issues.
CHKD’s pediatric surgery team gathers in the Nuss Center. Pictured are Dr. Katherine Davenport, Dr. M. Ann Kuhn, Dr. Robert Obermeyer, Dr. Michael Goretsky, Dr. Franklin Margaron, Dr. Jamie Golden, and Dr. Natalie O’Neill.
“Research, and the generous funding for that research, gives us hope.”
Dr. Eric Lowe
Every year, more than 70 local families face the devastating diagnosis that their child has cancer. And every one of our patients’ small handprints tells a story of hope and perseverance.
Handprints for Hope Hyundai Hope On Wheels backs lifesaving cancer research at CHKD
WRITTEN BY MaryClaire Hudson • PHOTOGRAPHY BY Hyundai Hope On Wheels and Capture Imaging
In September, during Childhood Cancer Awareness
Month, patients and families from CHKD’s pediatric cancer program gathered for the Hyundai Hope On Wheels handprint ceremony, held outside the main hospital in Norfolk. The children’s excitement was palpable as they painted their palms and pressed colorful handprints on a white Hyundai SUV, while their families and their care teams shared stories of hope.
“Handprints represent a unique way of demonstrating our support because each handprint is unique, and each handprint really does represent every child’s hope, their dreams, and their journey,” said Phan Tran, senior merchandising manager for the mid-Atlantic region at Hyundai Motor America, who spoke on behalf of Hyundai Hope On Wheels.
During this year’s handprint ceremony, Tran presented a $100,000 Hyundai Hope On Wheels Impact Award to Dr. Eric Lowe, a pediatric oncologist who also serves as CHKD’s chief clinical academic officer. Dr. Lowe proudly donned the Hyundai Hope on Wheels lab coat presented to him, which was quickly covered in little handprints of his patients.
CHKD’s cancer and blood disorders program follows as many as 500 children with cancer each year, providing the most up-to-date treatments available as part of Children’s Oncology Group, a global organization devoted exclusively to childhood and adolescent cancer research.
“Cancer doesn’t discriminate. It affects people of all ages, backgrounds, and walks of life. It brings emotional, physical, life-threatening challenges,” said Dr. Lowe. “Chemotherapy, radiation, surgery – they all take a toll. They cause fatigue, they cause illness, they cause hospitalizations. They cause pain. They disrupt lives.
It’s a tough journey. It’s an extremely tough journey. But research, and the generous funding for that research, gives us hope.”
CHKD was one of 50 medical institutions to receive a 2024 Hyundai Impact Award for demonstrating exemplary work in the field of childhood cancer. Nationwide, more than 830 Hyundai dealers donate a portion of proceeds from every new vehicle sold, combined with support from Hyundai Motor America. In its 26th year, Hyundai Hope On Wheels will donate $26 million to pediatric cancer research, with $250 million given since 1998.
“Children light up this world and we hope that one day they will all have the opportunity to live healthy, cancer-free lives. There is nothing more important to us,” said Ryan Garner, general manager of Checkered Flag Hyundai in Virginia Beach. “Children represent our future, and we must protect them at all costs. We are proud to stand with Hyundai in the fight against pediatric cancer.”
“Hyundai Hope On Wheels is proud to partner with leading hospitals and institutions like CHKD to fund lifesaving research that improves treatment and outcomes for children fighting cancer,” said John Guastaferro, Hyundai Hope On Wheels executive director. “We are thankful for the ongoing commitment of our hospital and dealer partners around the country to bring hope and awareness to one day realize our vision of a world free of pediatric cancer.”
Providing the best care often requires resources beyond what medical insurance covers. Hyundai’s decades of generosity, totaling more than $900,000, has helped to fill that gap. The road to treating childhood cancer can be long and bumpy, but support from Hyundai Hope on Wheels makes that ride a bit smoother.
Community Benefit Report
Investing in our children, our families, and the future of our community.
Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters was founded in 1961 on the conviction that every child deserves equal access to quality pediatric medical care. Since then, we have grown into a regional enterprise with more than 4,000 team members who work in more than 40 locations to meet the pediatric healthcare needs of coastal Virginia and northeastern North Carolina. This expansion is the result of our commitment to serve our children, and of our community’s trust in our ability to identify and respond to our children’s changing healthcare needs. We do this despite the cost to our health system, easing the government’s burden of caring for our region’s most vulnerable children, subsidizing medical services available nowhere else in the area, advancing knowledge of children’s health, and building a safer, healthier community for all. In the fiscal year that ended June 30, 2023, CHKD’s total community benefit expenses, minus offsetting revenue, exceeded $187 million.
$65 Million
Medicaid and Charity Care
CHKD provides its unique services to every child who needs them, regardless of any family’s ability to pay. While many children who cannot afford to pay are covered by government insurance programs like Medicaid, these programs do not reimburse CHKD for the true cost of providing care. In FY 2023, more than 55% of our inpatient days were covered by Medicaid, leaving CHKD with a $61 million shortfall between our costs of providing services to children covered by Medicaid and other means-tested government programs and the reimbursements we received. The hospital also provided nearly $3.5 million in charity care in that same period, for a total of nearly $65 million.
$82 Million
Community Health Improvement
CHKD formally assesses the region’s pediatric healthcare needs so children can find the special care they need close to home. We collaborate with parents, schools, public health agencies, and civic organizations to promote physical and psychological wellness, strengthen parenting skills, and address specific concerns such as premature birth, sports safety, and coordination of care for children with complex medical conditions. In recent years, CHKD has allocated significant resources to address the need for pediatric mental health services in our community and will continue to prioritize the expansion of our comprehensive mental health program.
CHKD’s
Ruby Stancill was born in August 2020, nearly 15 weeks before her due date, weighing just 1 pound, 6 ounces. Under the expert care of CHKD’s neonatal intensive care unit, Ruby overcame many hurdles, including a dangerous intestinal infection. After 108 days, she was healthy enough to go home – just in time for Thanksgiving. Today, she is a bubbly preschooler who loves the color red, marshmallows, and playing with her brother Henry.
$32 Million
Subsidized Health Services
Providing the care our children need often means subsidizing vital clinical programs regardless of their financial viability. Examples include our Child Advocacy Center, which coordinates the region’s efforts to identify, treat, and support children who have suffered abuse or neglect; CHKD’s transport program, which brings critically ill children safely to CHKD from other facilities; CHKD’s General Academic Pediatrics practice, which serves a large Medicaid population and many families with limited English proficiency who need support with language and social needs; and our childhood cancer program, which provides close to 500 local children medical care and support services throughout the active phases of their treatment and years of follow-up.
$8 Million
Education and Research
CHKD invests in the present and future health of our children through a variety of research programs and educational activities. We serve as the clinical home of the EVMS pediatric residency program, which trains physicians to specialize in pediatrics, and EVMS fellowship training programs in pediatric emergency medicine, clinical psychology, and pediatric and adolescent psychiatry. CHKD provided the setting for 203 clinical research studies in FY 2023 on topics like gene therapy for neuromuscular disorders, breakthroughs in the treatment of cystic fibrosis, innovative cancer treatments, and interventions for disordered sleep, among many others.
Source: CHKD’s IRS Form 990, Schedule H, FY 2023 ty Benefit: $187 million
PHOTOGRAPH BY Susan Lowe
At CHKD, it takes extra resources to provide the highest quality of care and best environment for healing to the thousands of children who turn to us for care every year.
It makes a lifesaving difference for children like Jason.
When Jason was 5 years old, he was rushed to CHKD after being struck by and pinned under a vehicle outside his Chesapeake home. Both of his lungs were collapsed. He had a broken collarbone, fractured rib, and bleeding in his liver.
But as the trauma team at CHKD worked to save Jason’s life, they also discovered that his intestines had a congenital defect that, if left untreated, could be fatal. Thankfully, CHKD surgeons were able to correct it immediately.
“CHKD saved his life twice that day,” says Jason’s mom, Coreen.
Donations make these stories of health and healing possible. They are the reason CHKD can offer innovative treatments, advanced technology and equipment, and the compassionate care and support services our children and families need, close to home. Here are some ways you can help.
Philanthropy Is at the Heart of Everything We Do
Outright gifts. We accept contributions by cash, check, credit card, or stock. Give using the enclosed envelope or visit CHKD.org/GiveCHKD.
Children at CHKD need your help NOW! Scan the QR code to give today.
Matching gifts. Many companies and foundations will match the value of charitable gifts made by employees and their spouses, board members, and retirees. Visit CHKD.org/MatchYourGift.
Endowment funds. These investments provide ongoing, perpetual funding to ensure the longevity of our programs. Call (757) 668-7070 to discuss endowments with one of our philanthropy team members.
Planned and legacy gifts. Friends who establish a planned gift with CHKD become members of the Beth Duke Legacy Society, and these estate plans ensure our ability to provide the best care for children both now and in the future. Learn more at CHKD.org/PlannedGiving.
Fundraising. Dedicate your next event, birthday, holiday, or special occasion to CHKD. Start your fundraiser at CHKD.org/FundraiseYourWay.
To learn more and find additional ways to help, visit CHKD.org/Giving or call (757) 668-7070.
Making a Difference
The work we do at CHKD is possible thanks to the generosity of dedicated donors. Here’s a look at some of our all-star supporters.
STIHL President and CEO Chris Keffer (left) and STIHL’s executive team pack bags of nonperishable food in support of CHKD’s Family Nutrition Program. The program, in partnership with the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore and Rite Aid Healthy Futures, addresses food insecurity in our region and provides underserved families at CHKD with a bag of shelfstable food.
When CHKD committed to making children’s mental health a priority, Howard Hanna Children’s Free Care Fund pledged $500,000 to CHKD’s mental health program. Pictured here, local team members of Howard Hanna Southeast celebrate a $105,000 donation toward that pledge, which is on track to be fulfilled in 2025.
Every summer, Walmart and Sam’s Club associates spend four weeks raising funds for children at CHKD through customer donations and store fundraising activities like car washes. In 2024, local stores raised more than $210,000 to support the imaging center at CHKD.
Students from Kim’s Hapkido Martial Arts in Virginia Beach present a check to CHKD Philanthropy Officer John Muszkewycz (right), for funds raised from their 3rd Annual Board Break-A-Thon. For the event, students set a goal and accept pledges and donations for each board they break. Since 2022, they have raised $26,000 for the kids at CHKD.
In the lobby of Children’s Pavilion, Dollar Bank’s Lisa Saunders (center) presents a $10,000 donation to CHKD’s General Academic Pediatrics. This investment will ensure CHKD can provide the highest standard of pediatric care to our patients and families at GAP, coordinating access to care and working with parents to ensure both medical and non-medical needs are met.
RK Subaru of Virginia Beach and the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society recently partnered to deliver 80 blankets to CHKD’s hematology/oncology patients, as part of the Subaru Loves to Care program. Blankets were accompanied by personalized messages of hope from customers and staff at RK Subaru.
Fundraising Helps Make Miracles
Fundraise Your Way
Join Team CHKD to raise crucial funds for the unique programs and services our children need to heal and grow.
With CHKD’s online fundraising platform, the opportunities to show your support are endless. Dedicate your next event, birthday, holiday, or special occasion to local children at CHKD, or fundraise on a larger scale by organizing a charity race or sports tournament.
Learn more and create your personal fundraising page today – scan the QR code or visit CHKD.org/FundraiseYourWay.
Shop CHKD Thrift Stores
Every donation and purchase made at a CHKD Thrift Store directly benefits sick and injured children at CHKD – more than $2 million in support every year. Visit CHKD.org/ThriftStores to find a location near you to shop or donate today.
Corporate Partners Support CHKD
Join businesses and organizations throughout the region as they host fundraising campaigns and events to benefit the children at CHKD. Scan the QR code to find out how you can help.
The King’s Daughters, founding organization of CHKD, has made a difference in our community through fundraising, volunteerism, leadership, and advocacy since 1896. Join in providing support for children at CHKD by attending one of The King’s Daughters’ annual events:
• RunWalk for the Kids
• Tee One Up
• Anthem LemonAid
• Breakfast with Santa
• Moonlight Gala
Learn more about events and other ways to get involved at KingsDaughters.org.
Parenting and Professional Resources from CHKD
Dedicated to providing quality information based on recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics, CHKD offers classes, conferences, webinars, and more for parents and professionals interested in gaining knowledge, skills, and confidence in parenting. From parent education to children’s health and mental wellness to injury prevention and sports performance, CHKD has got you covered.
Upcoming programs include:
• Understanding Highly Sensitive Children
• Car Seat Safety Checks and Distribution
• Take Ten Positive Parenting Tips, On Demand
• School Healthcare and ADHD Conferences
• Tech Tips for Parents
• Mental Wellness in Youth Sports
• CPR
• and more!
Scan the QR code or visit CHKD.org/Classes to see our schedule and read our latest Community Connections bulletin.
Career at CHKD
CHKD Health System offers careers in both clinical and non-clinical fields from entry-level to experienced professionals throughout our 45 locations. If you want to make a difference in the lives of children, apply for a position with CHKD today.
Find balance in life and work. In addition to traditional medical, dental, and vision care, we offer generous time off that starts accruing on your first day, and two personal days off each year. Employees also have free 24/7 access to our gym, discounts, and a suite of additional popular benefits.
Your family matters to us, too. Our family-focused benefits include paid parental leave, dependent care reimbursement, and best of all, no copays or deductibles at CHKD providers for your dependents!
We’ll help with your education. CHKD is proud to offer student loan repayment for all benefit-eligible employees, and tuition assistance for those currently enrolled in a degree program.
Scan the QR code or visit CHKD.org/Careers to learn more about working at CHKD and browse current openings.
CHKD Outpatient Pharmacy
• Family-friendly service
• Standard, specialty, and compounded medications for children and adults
• Kid-friendly flavoring
• Formulations free of allergens and dyes
• Assistance with high-cost or difficult-to-obtain medications
• Routine and travel immunizations
• Safe drug disposal
Pharmacy Hours
Monday – Friday: 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday & Sunday: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
